Strengthening knowledge and awareness in family services of domestic abuse (SKAFADA)

Abstract

This rapid scoping study, conducted by researchers from the University of Central Lancashire and King’s College London, provides evidence on the knowledge, understanding, and skills of the Early Help and Family Support workforces in England with regard to domestic abuse.

Early Help (EH) is designed to intervene before challenges in families reach the threshold where statutory safeguarding services are required, whereas Family Support (FS) provides services and interventions for vulnerable families and where children are defined as ‘in need’. These local authority (LA) workforces often collaborate with other partners to work with adults to develop parenting skills as well as in direct work with children. Early Help/Family Support practitioners have high levels of contact with families experiencing domestic abuse, and so it is important that the training and development they receive equips them with the tools they need to identify and deal with situations of domestic abuse.